Tidjane Salaün credits G-League stint after resurgent performance in Hornets loss

Thanks to some injuries and some pending/failed trades, rookie Tidjane Salaün has been back with the Charlotte Hornets for the last few games. Sunday's contest against the Detroit Pistons saw the sixth overall pick miss 11 shots from the floor. On Monday night, he had a much stronger outing.

🎙️ Tidjane Salaun: "I'm more comfortable with my body. The time spent in the G League helped me understand how I can play with my physicality, and now to play like this in the NBA will for sure help me open some windows on how to score and help my teammates. So, I feel better." pic.twitter.com/zMS72k4eYL
— /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) February 11, 2025

Salaün shot just 40% from the field, but he scored 16 points and added five rebounds. The 16 points are the second-most the forward has scored in a contest in his young NBA career. The Frenchman said after the game, "I'm more comfortable with my body. The time spent in the G League helped me understand how I can play with my physicality, and now to play like this in the NBA will for sure help me open some windows on how to score and help my teammates. So, I feel better."

Salaün opened the season with the Hornets and had to play more minutes than anticipated due to injuries in the frontcourt. At various points, Nick Richards, Mark Williams, and Grant Williams were hurt.

Jan 12, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Tidjane Salaun (31) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

When he normally would've gone to the G-League since he's just 19 years old and is a true rookie, he didn't because the Hornets' rotation was still thin. As players got healthier, Salaün went to the Greensboro Swarm following a January 17 win over the Chicago Bulls.

His tenure there was marked by some rough outings, including in his debut. However, the forward credits that time spent in the G-League working with the staff and getting consistent minutes are a reason he's more comfortable at the NBA level now.

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